The present application relates to optical scanners, and more particularly to an innovative scanner capable of scanning cylindrical objects or objects with curved surfaces.
Many applications involve the use of scanners to transfer physically embodied text or images (for example, from a scanned sheet of paper) into an electronic format. Most scanners include several components, such as a scan head, lamps to illuminate the scanned object, lenses to focus light within the device, a photosensitive element, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) array or MOS photodiode array, to convert photons into electrical signals, and control circuitry. Together these components form the system that scans the surface of a piece of paper and transfers the information into an electronic format, such as a computer file. Photosensitive arrays are the most common means of image capture. A typical array is made up of many tiny photodiodes that are sensitive to light. Photons striking a photodiode are converted into electrical signals. The brighter the light that strikes the photodiode, the greater the electrical charge that will accumulate at that site.
Flatbed scanners are among the most versatile of existing scanners and are the most commonly used. They normally include a flat surface on which a page is placed to be scanned, while a scan head moves with respect to the page to capture text or images on the page. Sheet fed scanners are similar to flatbed scanners, except that the sheet moves and the scan head is stationary. Drum scanners are used in industries where high levels of detail are required. Most drum scanners use a photomultiplier tube. In these types of scanners, a document to be scanned is mounted on a glass cylinder. In the cylinder is a sensor that splits light bounced from the document into three beams. Each beam is sent through a color filter into a photomultiplier tube where the light is changed into an electrical signal.
These prior art varieties of scanners all have limitations. For example, the sheet fed scanner and drum scanner require a flexible material to scan, as their mechanism for accepting the object to be copied bends the object in the process of scanning, be it wrapping the object around a cylinder or feeding it through a scanner's system. Flatbed scanners can scan either flexible or rigid, planar (flat) objects.
None of these types of scanners are capable of scanning a rigid, non-planar object or surface. Therefore, the state of the art would be improved by a system or method to scan a rigid cylindrical, or other non-flat shaped object.
Round Surface Scanner
In one example embodiment, the present innovations are described as a scanner capable of scanning a curved surface such as a bottle or other cylindrical, or curved surfaced object. In one class of embodiments, the present innovations include a scan head and one or more rollers (preferably two rollers, one active, the other passive) on which a cylindrical object turns in proximity to the head. As the object turns, the head records the image on the surface of the object.
The disclosed innovations, in various embodiments, provide one or more of at least the following advantages:                curved solid objects, such as a cylindrically shaped object, can be scanned quickly and easily.        